When He Tries
by icecreamcastles
Summary: She's got baby name books splattered all over her desk. It's amazing how something so seemingly little is actually so extremely huge to choose. (COMPLETE)
1. Chapter 1

His teeth pinch at her collar bone, feelings creep up inside her stomach and she feels a surge of warmth itching away in her thighs.

This is wrong. She shut her eyes, drawing out the many reasons to why not to do this and how bad this could end up. But when he's nuzzling at her neck she lets out a whimper and her hands drift around his neck pulling him closer.

She doesn't tell him, knows he doesn't want to know. So she lets her body do the talking, relishes how his lips know exactly how to make her lose function. Her brain turns to mush and she gets dizzy, evident that feelings at this moment can be later denied, she tries hard to not let that bother her. His stubble along her jaw makes her toes curl and she can feel goose bumps sprinting out of her arms.

He can't move for a while, she lets his head fall on her shoulder. She listens to his breathing come back to a normal sound, a soft purring sound. She cups his face in her hands, he won't make eye contact. "I'm sorry." she whispers.

"Don't expect me to change. I will never be what you want." He zips up his pants and limps his way out of the supply closet.

* * *

She comes home satisfied. She just bought a new crib, and some nice blankets with bears on them. The sun is barely coming down, but as she comes to the door she sees it's open. She bites her lip and walks inside.

He's on her couch thudding his cane. "What are you doing here?" she walks over to the couch.

He looks away, he's not exactly cooperating. He won't say anything.

Mainly because he doesn't know what to say.

"You look good" He says after a grunt. She's practically been radiating since she saw her (their) baby on that monitor.

"I feel good." she smiles.

He stands up, "I should..." He limps to the door. "Oh, and you might want this." He digs into his pocket and holds out a picture.

She takes it and stares at it in awe.

"He's in good health. I broke into the doctor's office… knew you wouldn't want to wait until tomorrow to see it."

She smiles, "Thank you. Greg."

"Yeah." he nods.

* * *

She's got baby name books splattered all over her desk. It's amazing how something so seemingly little is actually so extremely huge to choose.

She's picking them up and putting them into her bag when a paper falls out of one book.

She leans down much as she can and picks up the paper. _Harold is a gay name. So is Ralph._

Cuddy laughed. House's handwriting was messy and the paper was crumpled up so it was obvious he was unsure to place it. But it was something. It was something indeed.

* * *

"You look like a whale." He coughed, nearly scaring her half to death as she walked down the halls of the hospital.

"Would you not do that?" She was mildly irritated, had been all morning. Hormones.

"Want some?" He offered the lollipop that had just been in his mouth.

"I think I'll pass." Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"Did you find some other horrible names like Beulah or Ruben?" He asked, popping the candy back in his mouth.

"I don't know if you think I'm doing so horribly why don't you pick some?"

House slowed down, "I gotta go."

He continued limping the opposite way.

Cuddy didn't miss how the baby was lightly kicking the whole time House had been near her.

* * *

"What you have done to the man, I believe, no one has ever done." Wilson came into her office with a smug grin.

"What exactly are you on about?" Cuddy didn't look up from her paperwork.

"I know Cuddy. I know House is the father of your baby. You need to make him realize that too."

"James," Cuddy placed down the pen and looked up at Wilson's caring face, "It's not debatable. This was just a… agreement. And it worked. It is working."

"He wants to be with you Cuddy. I know he does –"

"Just not with a baby." Cuddy finished. "And that's fine! We both got what we wanted."

Wilson sighed. "I think you're both just lying to yourselves."

"Well go think elsewhere. I don't have time for this."

* * *

She's in the waiting room, she's not going into labor. She can't. She's two weeks early.

"Lisa Cuddy." They call her in.

And then it's what she feared. "You're in labor Lisa."

The words echo in her ear and she can't seem to feel anything but intense panic. She was here, alone. She wasn't due until the last of May, this can't be happening. This can't.

Then he's by her side.

She doesn't know how, or why, but he's saying something and she can't quite make it out from how the anxiety is making her feel sick. Then the contractions are happening. This brings her back.

"Lisa, can you hear me? Nod if you can hear me." House stares.

She nods, cringing at the next wave of pain.

"Stay with me." House's voice says.

* * *

When she wakes up he's not there, but her son is. They place him in her arms. When she looks at him she thinks of only one thing. A name. William. William Cuddy.

* * *

It's two months before she's back at the hospital. Able and anxious to get back to work. Liam, as she calls him, is with his babysitter Maureen.

House is sitting behind her desk, a picture on her desk in his hand. The picture.

He looked up at her. "Cute looking kid. Wonder where he got that from." He widened his eyes playfully.

Cuddy smirked and hung her coat and her bag.

"I have an idea." She beamed.

House looked at her with that look he has. This face that her should run or he should say what he thinks. Either sound like a good idea, but he wants to go with the running, well – limping.

"I'm not going to meet him." He finally said.

"I know that."

"I'm not." He persisted.

"Good."

"Good." He stood up and left her office.


	2. Chapter 2

Wilson comes over after work three days later.

"He's adorable." He cooed at Liam.

"Of course he is." Cuddy said proudly.

"He looks just like him you know."

Cuddy sighed, "I know. What difference does it make?"

"Can you live with it?"

"Live with what?" Cuddy was growing annoyed, going to place Liam in his crib.

Wilson followed.

"With the fact that every time you look at Liam you'll be thinking of him."

"James, I really appreciate your concern, I do, but you're out of line."

Wilson sighed, scratching the back of his neck (a habit of his). "I hope you know what you're doing."

* * *

"Thought you might want this." Wilson dropped a photo on House's desk.

"What's this?" House didn't pick it up. Instead he eyed it like it was the plague.

"Your spawn."

"It's not mine. It's Cuddy's. Take that _thing_ and leave me alone."

"You're going to have to face this sooner or later."

"You're going to have to face an ass kicking if you don't stop prying. This was the plan, this was how we worked it out. Stop pushing me into some kind of father figure because I'm not and I don't want anything to do with him."

With Wilson's mouth agape, it took him a few seconds to recollect himself before walking out in disbelief.

House's eyes drifted down to the photo.

* * *

The photo is lying under his pillow.

* * *

**: Four Months Later :**

"Trauma, blow to the head. What's that caused by, and no, he didn't have a great fall and no, by the way, all the kings' horses and all the kings' men didn't put him back together again. Go." House wrote down on the board.

Cameron was about to answer but was cut off by Wilson calling House's name.

House shut his eyes in irritation and followed out of the room.

"What?"

Wilson sighed, "It's about Liam."

"Nope. Sorry, loading… did not find file relevant to your question. Try Google." He turned back towards the room to finish the diagnosis.

He grabbed his arm. "He needs a kidney transplant."

* * *

House paced his office. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure he was diagnos-"

"Not by me!" He snapped.

House sighed before continuing. "She can't trust some idiot's opinion when I'm the best there is. It must be something else. Something they're missing."

"What could they be missing House. They went to medical school too!"

"Well they aren't the best are they?"

Wilson stayed silent.

"Well they aren't this stupid." Wilson folded his arms over his chest.

"What's that supposed to mean?" House narrowed his eyes.

"It means you need to stop being an ass and go see your son. If you're this concerned that he was dying even you can't outrun that."

House huffed out a breath, "You made this all up."

"You're finally putting the pieces together, good for you." Wilson sat behind his desk, smug.

"This wasn't funny." House's voice was so quiet Wilson almost didn't catch it. He also didn't expect the sight in front of him.

House stood unsure and almost beaten; it came off of him in waves.

"House? Are you okay?"

"I'm great." House replied before leaving Wilson's office.

* * *

Cuddy opened the door to see a drenched House.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course, sure." She pulled her robe closer to her frame.

He walked in slowly. "Sorry about the carpet." He motioned to his dirty shoes wet from the night rain.

"It's fine." Cuddy eyed him warily. "What brings you here?"

"You know what's brought me here."

Cuddy blinks, swallows, and says "You don't want to be here."

"I don't have a choice do I? He's… _mine._"

"Yes." Cuddy agrees.

"We came up with this deal and I don't know how to hold up my end of the bargain anymore. I wonder. I… feel something. I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's him."

Cuddy nods, "Do you want to dry off?"

"Yeah."

While he's trying to get dry he glances at the room at the end of the hall. Keeps his eye on it because he knows that's _the_ room.

He feels Cuddy grab his hand. It's comforting. "Come on."

He reluctantly walks beside her, tempted to stop and leave. Tempted to just place it all away.

As he enters the room he sees the crib, tiny stars dangling from the edge.

He takes a huge breath before coming to stand beside it, looking down at the sleeping child. He's got his hair, his mouth, Cuddy's nose. His chin. It's almost like looking in a mirror. His heart aches, he doesn't know why.

He feels Cuddy squeeze his hand a little tighter.

"He's _mine._" House whispers.

"He's _yours._" Cuddy whispers back.

_**FIN.**_


End file.
